This chapter is PG-13.
Davy was lying on his stomach on his bed reading from the gospel of Luke when suddenly Elizabeth appeared at his side.
"Where's Mike?" She demanded.
Davy was so startled he nearly fell off the bed. "He's...he's in the living room cleaning."
"No he's not. In fact he's nowhere inside the pad." The angel replied.
Davy jumped off the bed and ran into the living room.
"He said he was going to do some cleaning." Davy insisted, "Mike would've told me if he was going out."
"I was over by Synthea's house watching Margaret when I felt Mike was in distress." Elizabeth told Davy, "It was only for a brief instant, but it was there."
"Can't you locate him?" Davy asked.
The angel shook her head. "No, I can't sense him at all." She said quietly, "If he would only call out to me, or think my name, I could go to him."
"Is Mike dead?" Davy said, his voice choking.
"No, I would definitely sense that." Elizabeth replied. "I would sense his soul going up to heaven." She looked over at the bay windows and noticed the witches' ball, now a lump of molten glass. Stretching out her hand, the angel brought the misshapen globe over to her. Elizabeth knew immediately what it was.
"Where did this come from?" She asked Davy.
"Darlene gave it to Peter last night." Davy replied, "She bought it at the Winterfest near the library. The woman she brought it from called it a witches' ball. It was supposed to keep witches away."
"It's really a sorcerer's sphere." The angel said, turning the glass object in her hand.
"What's it do?" Davy asked.
"Whatever its creator, in this case Keith Locksley, wants it to do." Elizabeth replied. "They can release poison gas or shoot fireballs. But in this case it was used as a teleportation device. The energy used to do that melted the glass."
"Mike's not in there, is he?" Davy asked with a shudder.
"No, but somehow a piece of his hair or skin must've been used when Keith made this...that's it. At the Vincent a few days ago."
"When Julia kissed Mike before you arrived." Davy finished.
"Yes, that must be it." Elizabeth replied solemnly.
"This is my fault." Davy whispered, putting his hands to his mouth, "If I had helped Mike with the cleaning..."
"You might be in trouble with him." Elizabeth interrupted, "Don't blame yourself, Davy. Synthea, Julia and Keith are the ones responsible, and we will get Mike back."
"Are the others ok?" Davy asked.
"Yes, they're fine." The angel replied. "Let's go over to them and tell them what happened."
Elizabeth and Davy instantly disappeared.
++++
Peter and Micky walked over to Darlene's apartment and knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Darlene called out.
"It's Peter and Micky." Peter said.
Darlene opened the door and let the two Monkees inside.
"Come on in." She smiled, giving Peter a kiss, "Nice to see you both."
"We just came over to check up on you." Micky said.
Peter noticed that Darlene was dressed up to go somewhere.
"Are you going out?" Peter asked her.
"Yeah, I just got a call to come into work this afternoon." Darlene replied, putting on her earrings, "A girl called off sick and I was asked to take her place."
"Good thing we came here." Micky said, "We can walk you over."
"I'd like that."
Suddenly, Elizabeth and Davy were standing in front of them. Micky, Peter and Darlene jumped back in fright.
"Elizabeth, what's going on?" Peter asked.
"Mike's been captured by Synthea." The angel said, "That witches' ball Darlene gave you was actually a trap set by Keith to take Mike out of the pad."
All eyes turned to Darlene. She stepped back from the others, her mouth open in shock.
"No, that can't be true." She whispered.
"I'm afraid it is, Darlene." Elizabeth told her, holding out misshapen Sorcerers' sphere for her and the others to see. "This is what's left of it." She then crushed the glass lump into a powder.
Darlene sank to the floor. "Oh no...no!" She began to sob. "What have I done?"
"It's not your fault, Darlene." Elizabeth said, kneeling down next to her, "Synthea took advantage of your good heart and tricked you."
Peter, Micky and Davy just looked at the floor. They knew Darlene had had good intentions, but were still upset that she had let herself think a glass ball would fight evil.
"How could you let yourself be tricked like that, Darlene?" Peter wanted to know, his voice rising slightly.
"The same way you four were tricked by Jynger, I suppose." Elizabeth replied, looking up at him, "You were shown something too good to be true and you believed it."
Peter, Micky and Davy looked at each other, but said nothing. Elizabeth motioned for the three Monkees to sit down with her.
"Arguing and self-recriminations aren't going to help us now." She said. "I know we're all upset, but right now I want everyone to pray with me while I concentrate on Margaret."
"Did she agree to help you?" Davy asked as he sat down.
"Yes, she's a kitten again and inside Synthea's house." The angel replied, "So she's our best chance to find Mike. Let's pray that the Lord will help her be successful."
Everyone sat in the circle, joined hands and prayed.
++++
Meanwhile, Keith and Julia were sitting on a sofa in Synthea's living room, waiting for Synthea and Alice to come home. Margaret was sitting quietly next to the sofa. The wizard looked over at Julia.
"You ok? You look a little under the weather."
"I'm fine, Keith." Julia said.
"Are you sure, I can whip up a little something..."
Just then, Synthea and Alice appeared in a storm of black clouds and wind. Keith and Julia stood up to greet them.
"Glad to see you two back." Keith smiled, "I hope you didn't get into too much trouble on my account."
Synthea and Alice stuck their arms out and shot lightning bolts at Keith, knocking him over the sofa.
"Next time make sure you take all your drugs with you!" Alice yelled at him. "I was busted for drug possession!"
"Hey I'm sorry, I had to leave in a bit of a hurry..." Keith began to say as he got up off the floor, but Synthea shot another bolt at him and knocked him back onto the floor.
"You're lucky I was able to make the charges go away, you cut-rate wizard." Synthea snarled
Margaret leaped up onto the arm of a sofa so she could see and hear what was going on better.
"Cut-rate wizard?" Keith shot back as he got to his feet once again, "I guess it was just dumb luck that I was able to nab Nesmith for you."
Margaret's eyes grew wide at the news.
"You got him?" Synthea asked in shock.
"Yes, zapped him right out of the pad when nobody was around." Keith smiled, "He's safe and secured at the gathering place." He dusted himself off. "Now, if you two are done with your hissy fits, I suggest you start getting things ready for me."
"Alright, very well." Synthea said, excited. She then looked up at the ceiling. "Gwen come here!"
In the next room the wizard and witches heard the puff of smoke of Gwen's arrival.
"In here, Gwen!" Synthea called, rolling her eyes.
Gwen ran into the room. "Yes, mistress?" She asked.
"Summon the coven." Synthea said, "Tell them to come to the gathering place tonight."
"Summon the coven." Gwen giggled, "That rhymes!"
Synthea backhanded Gwen across the face. "Do it and do it now!" She shouted.
"Yes mistress, right away mistress." Gwen said quickly, holding her face. She ran out of the room.
"You really need a new assistant." Julia remarked, shaking her head.
"I know, but her father has friends in low places." Synthea replied. "Let's go, I have to ask the master to join us tonight."
Synthea, Keith, Julia and Alice walked into the alter room. Margaret discreetly followed behind them.
Standing before the altar, Synthea flicked her hands at the unlit candles standing there...but they did not light. Puzzled, the witch waved her hands again but the black candles stayed unlit.
"What's the matter?" Keith asked.
"The candles won't light." Synthea replied, waving her hands again with the same result.
"I'll bet it was that angel again." Keith stated, "I sensed something in this area a few days ago, but was unable to pinpoint what it was." He glared down at Margaret, who was sitting nearby, trying to look innocent.
"Never mind, I don't need them lit to call on the master." Synthea replied. She raised her hands up high, and Keith, Alice and Julia did the same.
"Oh dark master, I summon thee. Answer the call of your servants." Synthea called out. She put her hands down on the altar...and a gusher of thick yellow liquid poured out of the mouth of the ram's head above the altar. It splashed onto the altar and on Synthea, who screamed and jumped away. Julia, Alice and Keith quickly moved back.
"OHHH, get this off of me!" Synthea screamed, trying to get the sticky goo out of her hair.
Keith, Alice and Julia waved their hands and managed to make most of the foul-smelling stuff go away. Margaret smiled at the witch's discomfort.
"Elizabeth, I will get you for this!" Synthea screamed at the ceiling, her fist raised in the air, "I curse you, and I will make you sorry for interfering with my plans!"
Julia had more practical matters on her mind, though. "How will you summon the master now?" She asked.
"How about a sacrifice?" Alice asked, pointing a finger at Margaret.
"Yes, I think the little fur ball will do quite nicely." Synthea smiled, reaching out for Margaret.
Chapter 16
Chapter 18
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